The Place

I have been in contact with John Mitchell and the Ariel owners Club Treasurer, regarding the two Arrow engined sidecar outfit, built by Ernie Earles.

Names were mentioned such as Bill Bodice, Ron Langston, Doug Cooper and yourself.

>From the early sixties I have believed that Ernie used a Douglas Dragonfly frame, (not confirmed yet) a machine he designed for the Douglas factory.

John has found me photos of Bill and Ron riding the outfit, but of course with a large fairing it is not easy to identify the frame which the exposed rear end may confirm the origin.

On the internet I saw an email site for you having noticed various references to photos elsewhere.

I am preparing an article for our Club magazine on machines using the Dragonfly chassis and there will be many of our people who will not know about the possibility of a further connection to Ernie.

Any guidance you might be able to offer will be gratefully received, and acknowledged.

My regards. Doug Frost, Editor, The New Conrod magazine, London Douglas MCC

I'd have thought that Mick Boddice would be able to throw some light on the history of the 'double Arrow' engine.

Cheers will put this through to him

steve-e wrote:I have been in contact with John Mitchell and the Ariel owners Club Treasurer, regarding the two Arrow engined sidecar outfit, built by Ernie Earles.

Names were mentioned such as Bill Bodice, Ron Langston, Doug Cooper and yourself.

>From the early sixties I have believed that Ernie used a Douglas Dragonfly frame, (not confirmed yet) a machine he designed for the Douglas factory.

John has found me photos of Bill and Ron riding the outfit, but of course with a large fairing it is not easy to identify the frame which the exposed rear end may confirm the origin.

On the internet I saw an email site for you having noticed various references to photos elsewhere.

I am preparing an article for our Club magazine on machines using the Dragonfly chassis and there will be many of our people who will not know about the possibility of a further connection to Ernie.

Any guidance you might be able to offer will be gratefully received, and acknowledged.

My regards. Doug Frost, Editor, The New Conrod magazine, London Douglas MCC

I hope that you are going to give a mention to Mal Whites Tri-Fly outfit in your article. His ex passenger,,Bruce Cartwright bought it when Mal moved on to better things and I was his ballast.